Rwanda Energy Group (REG) signed the contract amendment with SynoHydro Limited regarding the design, supply, construction, installation and commissioning of 43.5MW Nyabarongo-II Hydropower Plant and a 110kV evacuation transmission line.
The feasibility Study for Nyabarongo II was completed in 2013 and later in 2015 the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sinohydro Ltd signed an MOU to develop the project under Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) modality. Since then, Sinohydro initiated detailed studies to validate and update the project design considerations.
On 6 June, 2018, REG signed a preliminary contract amounting with Sinohydro for the implementation of the Project under Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) framework in order to allow the Government to mobilize the project financing with China Exim Bank in due course as the rest of the required optimization studies by Sinohydro get completed.
The final project EPC contract cost as reflected in the amended contract stands at USD 214,027,700.12 with a computed feed-in tariff of 7.5c$/kWh. The project entails the following components: (i) 43.5MW Power Plant (ii) Dam/Including Flood Control (iii) Switchyard, (iv) 2.3km permanent Road & Bridge, and (v) 19km of 110kV Transmission line.
The planned construction duration of the project is projected to 56 months from effectiveness. The first Unit of the plant is expected to be commissioned by the end of the 2nd Quarter of the Year 2024.
Nyabarongo II Hydropower Station is located at the upper reaches of Nyabarongo River at Shyorongi, Rulindo District, Northern Province. The project dam site is about 27km from Kigali City. The total installed capacity of the hydropower station shall be 43.5MW (3 units of 14.5MW each). Its total pool reservoir level is 1,419m high, the total storage capacity is 846.3 million m³ enough for the power plant to run throughout the year with minimum guaranteed generation of at least 50% in dry season. The plant availability is designed as 63.7%. Once completed, Nyabarongo II project will contribute to over 11.5% of the total installed Generation to the National Grid by 2024.
The Nyabarongo II is a Multi- Purpose Project, the main purpose of the project is to increase power generation and control flooding during this first phase. The Second phase of the project will incorporate both the pumped storage which will increase power output from the river and irrigation downstream of the dam. The Dam will regulate water flow to allow downstream irrigation projects and hence reclaiming a total land of about 20 thousand hectares for the agricultural use.
The project will also provide employment to thousands of causal laborers and skilled employees. The project study shows that the number of labor required in peak period of the project is 1,100 people, while the average number of labor required throughout the project is 900.